Psalm 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
We are dependent upon the Lord for daily life and for every breath we take. God is in charge of our life and death. He takes away our breath and the soul separates from the body: we die. Every breath we take is a gift of God and a gift of life. Life comes from God’s breath: “The Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living soul [Genesis 2:7].” Life comes from God, and death comes from separation from God.
And at the very moment Adam sinned he died (was separated from God), and so do we. And at the moment we believe in Jesus we are born again to a new life, a life that never ends. Jesus reunites us with God, the source of life. The Holy Spirit within our human spirit is the very air we breathe.
Trouble comes when God and His Life feel absent. He is hiding behind the troubles we experience and we can’t see Him clearly. However He promises to be with us, even when we are troubled, and He never forsakes us. We see with eyes of faith, given by the Spirit through the Gospel, that the Lord is present. Life, union with God, replaces Death, separation from God. The Law tells of death and convicts of Sin; the Gospel speaks of life and convicts of Forgiveness and reunion. We live in the midst of death; therefore, we repent and believe daily. “Let not your hearts be troubled. believe in God; believe also in me [John 14:1].”